


Push and Shove

by Onlymostydead



Series: Fictober 2019 [13]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Bad Parenting, Confessions of love, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Bullying, Implied/Referenced Transphobia, M/M, Pre-Calamity, Trans Male Character, Trans Revali
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-31 19:03:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21150668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onlymostydead/pseuds/Onlymostydead
Summary: As long as he can remember, Revali has been pushing and shoving. Whether it's shoving others away or himself forward, it's all the just the same...Except when it comes to Link.





	Push and Shove

**Author's Note:**

> Fictober Day 17, I'm pretty sure, man am I behind.

Revali had always been pushing, as long as he could remember.

Always, always pushing forward, pushing forward, launching himself off the landings so that he'd know how to fly before the other kids his age. He had to learn before them. To prove himself, to be better, so that he could come home and scream that he was the greatest flier in the whole class.

Not that it would matter. Not that it would ever matter.

But he kept pushing. After he was the best at flying, he had to be the best at tight maneuvers, things that those his age wouldn't even dream of attempting. How many times had he hit the rock pillars of Rito Village and fallen to the water below? How many times had fully grown knights had to swoop in and save him because he couldn't keep himself from getting hurt?

It didn't matter how many times; he just kept getting up. His parents chided him, blaming his stupid pride for getting him hurt. If he wasn't such an arrogant kid, always trying to prove to the world that he was better than everyone else, than he wouldn't keep getting hurt.

They pushed him away, and Revali kept pushing forward. No amount of falling could dissuade him; he was going to master the maneuvers eventually, until he could fly as well as any adult Rito.

And, sure enough... He did. He could fly like master, twisting and turning in ways that were sure to make him a great warrior-

If only that could be his path.

Because now, able to fly in such a way, shouldn't he put away these childish dreams of being a boy and pursue singing, like a good Rito girl? To learn the hymns of the Goddess, passed down from generation to generation?

His parents pushed and pushed. For him to be the daughter he was born as. For him to accept that role.

But Revali pushed back. It would be useless to waste his potential on trying to develop what was, quite frankly, such an awful voice.

They blamed it on that. The fact that he was a terrible singer. That if he wasn't, he would have no problem with being a girl. Just that terrible pride rearing its head again, Revali. It's going to get you killed one day.

He didn't care. All he cared about was moving on, and learning how to shoot.

Barely a fledgeling, Kaneli took him under his wing to learn archery. Now he had to be better than everyone around at that. To prove he was worthy to be a boy. To be with all the other boys.

Except... None of his peers were archers, yet. Not even close. The others Kaneli taught were all older, more experienced, stronger. They pushed him around, playful shoves from kid to kid like they had gained a new toy. It was sick, degrading, humiliating-

Revali swore, as he wrote in his journal one night, tears running down his cheeks, that one day none of them would dare treat him like that. 

But there was only one way to get there.

So he trained. He woke up earlier than anyone else, fought harder, and practiced longer. He would earn his place. They would never be able to say he didn't belong. Not if he never missed a target. Not if he learned techniques they could only dream of leagues ahead of them. Not if he did everything he possibly could-

But still that wasn't enough.

His classmates didn't push him around anymore, sure, but that didn't mean anything. He wasn't one of them. He was still just... An outsider. Looking in with hungry, longing eyes, jealous of what they had. Because there they were... Happy?

How were they happy with where they were? They weren't anywhere near the best; none of them were. He was the clear, undisputed best archer in this class, and it would be a scrambling fight for second. And yet somehow, that was enough. Amateurs.

They were happy with each other, too. They didn't press each other to get better, to prove themselves, to stand up straighter, and taller, and act a certain way or risk being ridiculed. 

It was a double standard. 

But he could take that. It wasn't fair, yeah. Sure. Well, life wasn't fair, and he couldn't expect it to treat him nicely. No, he could expect to fight talon and beak for everything that he wanted in this world, fair or not.

What hurt most was hearing them talk about their parents.

About them going home, and having someone worry about them.

Someone who loves them.

Who cares.

Who's interested in their success.

In their happiness.

Their interests.

Who they are as a person.

Because being the best may not be good enough for his classmates, who ignore him, but it sure as hell isn't good enough for his parents. They ask, in their judgmental voices, picking him apart before he even speaks, how his little archery training is going. How this venture at being a warrior is treating him. If his voice is just as awful as it's always been.

Of course it is.

It only hurts because he sees the disappointment every time he tells them. Every good answer he gives about his training is another thing for them to hate, another thing for them to scream at him about. That this whole prideful tirade is going to be his downfall, that he's living a lie and all of it is going to come crashing down.

That he would have made a beautiful singer, if he had been willing to put the hard work into it. 

Those words stop up Revali's throat, keep him from speaking anything at all. Because he knew. It was no surprise, so why does it hurt so much to hear things like that? To hear that they don't value his hard work is something totally different than knowing it, though, and the revelation brings tears to his eyes.

He ran out of the house and blinked them back, though. Because real warriors, real men don't cry, and he never knew who could be watching in a moment of weakness. Any second could be the one a classmate uses to prove that he doesn't deserve to be one of them, and if Kaneli, the dumb old owl, believed them-

Kaneli wouldn't believe them. He wouldn't. But Revali used the thought to push back tears and square his shoulders, to keep himself moving forward when everything inside him felt like it was tearing apart.

Because he knew. He knew that all of his work would never be enough to prove to to his parents. But...

But maybe...

And that's what gave him an idea.

Endless hours of training and work and flight, pushing his body to the limits. Tasting blood on his tongue and not stopping to care, the wind stinging his eyes and tearing at his throat, trying to channel a rush, a power, to pull together the winds themselves.

It sounded like crazy talk, when it was said like that. But according to Kaneli... It could be done.

And it a Rito Warrior could do it, Revali would. He would prove it, and thereby, himself. He had earned that title, so now... He had to. He had to.

So he kept pushing, and pushing, and pushing-

Onward, feeling the tug at his heart and the release of a tornado that followed, unmanageable, but very much there, and very much real.

He could do this.

He could do this.

So Revali trained, day in and day out, trying to harness the power. Some days he couldn't even summon the stupid thing, and it was so frustrating, so irritating, and-

And of course, that's when the other Warriors from his class had to come and see. Then, when he was at his worst. Because they could never see him succeed.

Then again, they wouldn't see him succeed even if they were looking right at him doing it.

But in order to do this... He had to push himself. To block them out. To block all of them out, everything- 

Even the princess. She was here, asking him to be a Champion. The Champion of the Rito people. The best of the best. He was, after all. He had proven that to her; and now he had to do was...

-and let it go.

He was the greatest. The best. It didn't matter what the Rito themselves thought; it was apparent from outside who their most skillful warrior was, and it was him. He had worked harder for longer, never taking any breaks, never allowing himself excuses like the others gave. No, he truly was the only one worthy to be a Champion.

And focusing on that? Blocking out all of the voices around him? That's what made Revali's Gale possible.

Of course, before he left, though... He had to visit them. Who knew how long he was going to be gone and if nothing else than to let them know that he did it, that he accomplished what he had been training to do-

Of course his parents weren't impressed. Of course.

Not that it mattered. They never were, after all. 

Shutting out those thoughts, Revali packed his bag and headed out into the world, sure that things could only get better.

He would only be proven wrong instantly.

Because there was Link. Champion of Hurule, the chosen one out of all of them, wielder of the sword that seals the darkness, the only one left who he wasn't better than. The only warrior left that he couldn't compare to.

He knew that. He knew it, as he challenged him to useless duels, as he teased him, as he made fun of him, as he pushed and shoved him like the inferior boys had done to himself so long ago. Because he couldn't stand it. Because his heart was torn apart with jealousy. Because as he lay awake at night everything in his body demanded that he get up and train harder, fight, push back, become better and better until he was the best again.

But that would never happen. The Goddess chose who she wanted.

The Goddess chose.

He was unwanted. 

No matter how much Revali strove, no matter how much he pushed forward, to be good, to prove himself, to earn his parents love, to be a boy, to be a son, to be a warrior, to be a champion, it would never be good enough because he was never good enough. He was never good enough. That was just who he was. Because Link? Link was good. Link was the guy who was kind, and good, and turned the other cheek. 

Revali? He gloated, prideful, standing over those he bested. He seized his rightful titles in his talons and never let go because he knew there were those who wanted to snatch them from him.

Because life just wasn't fair, and that meant he had to be better.

Link was good. He was a hero.

And Revali? When he finally started to receive the love he wanted in Rito Village, he shut people out. He pushed them away. If that was all it was, fake, performance based admiration, he didn't want it to his face. Yes, he was the best. And every person they passed on the street? They would have to tell that to. But that didn't mean he needed validation.

The only validation he wanted was never coming, so what was the point?

So he hated Link. He pushed him away, and fought him, and challenged him, and blamed him, and with everything that he had in him wished that he would just disappear. That this Hero of Legend would be wiped off the face of Hyrule.

Of course, it didn't happen.

And of course, he was just left staring at him, watching him, fighting him, lying awake at night thinking about him. Someone at some point, probably his mother, come to think of it, told Revali that beauty was on the inside. That if he was a beautiful person inside, it would translate to what he looked like to others.

And that must explain Link, with his locks of golden hair, his sky blue eyes, his round cheeked smile. It was ridiculous. The adorable little bastard stole his heart when he wasn't looking, and now where did that leave him?

Hating him. Hating him all the more.

But he couldn't hate him. No matter how much he worked and trained and fought to keep him out of his head, that beautiful blonde was still dominating his every thought. It was uncanny, insufferable, unbearable. 

He finally met his match, and what did he do? He went and fell in love with him. Typical. It was only a matter of time before Link got sick of him shoving, of the constant pride and gloating, and started to push back. Until he sneered, and scowled, and showed all of the pent up anger on that perfect, beautiful little face of his.

Because he hated Revali. He was sure of it.

Everyone did.

The other champions, who he pushed away the friendships of before they could even start.

The other Rito, who could only admire him from a distance.

His classmates, who hated, then tried to fake love him. Irritating. If he wasn't as fake as he was himself, he'd be able to afford more anger towards them. But, as is...

His parents.

So why wouldn't Link?

Why wouldn't Link?

Why didn't Link fight him?

Because he never did. Every challenge, he turned down. Every taunt, he just shrugged and walked away. Was Revali not even worth his time? Was he that useless? What was the point, even? Why bother?

But he kept pushing it, and pushing it, because that was all Revali knew. And Link kept sidestepping, squeezing his eyes shut, walking away-

Until he didn't.

Until he snapped, grabbing Revali's scarf and pressing their faces together.

His first thought was that Link was head-butting him. Hylians did that when fighting, after all. But not gently, with eyes closed, breath shuddering, hands shaking...

This was a kiss. 

He was kissing him.

They were... Kissing?!?

Then Link let his scarf go, just as quickly as he grabbed it, turned on his heel, and walked away, leaving Revali confused, standing there alone, feathers ruffled all the way up. 

Yeah. He hated Link.

Avoiding him was easy. It wasn't like they spent a lot of time around each other normally, so nothing was too suspicious about that. No one suspected a thing. It wasn't like ignoring him was anything special, or-

Or...

Revali couldn't bring himself to hate him, but he hated this. He hated this distance between them that he created, not saying a word when he essentially admitted to having feelings for him. What would have happened if he chased after him? If he hadn't just stood there when he kissed him? If he had held him, leaned into it, showed that stupid, awful, lovable hero that he wanted to keep him close?

But instead, he pushed him away.

Like he always did.

Always. Without fail. It was never anything else, never anything but that. Pushing and shoving, making sure no one got too close because then what would happen if he didn't meet his standard? What would happen if he wasn't good enough? If Revali betrayed that he cared what Link thought, then Link's thoughts could devastate him.

No, he had to keep him away. It was for his own good. It was for his own...

But there he was, so perfect and beautiful and sad because the one he loved was just an asshole who doesn't know how to properly handle feelings. How many feather pens had Revali bent the tips of writing about him? How many sleepless nights had he spent thinking about him, just for this to be the result? All for this?

For this?

Because Link thought that he didn't love him, and part of him wanted to just say good, but part of him wanted to scream that everybody did. That everyone loved Link. He was the boys in the archery class who may or may not have been better than him but damn, did everyone care about them, somehow.

Caught between jealousy and love. Never a good spot to be in, but... As long as he kept his mouth shut, everything would be fine. Everything would be just fine. No need to worry. No need to-

But time was running out, wasn't it?

Zelda was almost seventeen, after all, and that meant Mount Lanayru, which was their last big chance. That could trigger Calamity Ganon's return, if her power came back. 

So as she marched up that mountain, taking Mipha with her as a guard instead of Link since he wasn't yet old enough...

Revali made his choice. They were young and they were going to die and damn it, he had spent too long looking for love in places he'd never find it, too long turning it away from places that were offering to freely give it.

So he called Link over. To talk. Privately, one on one, heart pounding. The other champions looked suspicious, but no one said a word. Link followed him a little way down the trail, just out of earshot.

And he admitted it. Those four little words, "I love you too," with ruffled feathers and a quivering voice.

Because who knew, this could be their last chance?

And Link... Link didn't kiss him again. He didn't slap him, he didn't profess his love, he didn't faint, none of those reactions that had been running through Revali's head. Those blue eyes went wide, tearing up just a little bit.

If Revali were sworn to the truth, so did his. The stress, the situation, everything just coming to a head - it was too much. They were only teenagers, for fucks sake. Kids his age were only now really learning how to handle a bow with real accuracy. And yet, here they were, the fate of Hyrule resting on their shoulders.

Revali had always been pushing. His entire life. Pushing forward, pushing people away-

Except for that moment.

Because in that moment, Link wrapped his arms around him, buried his face in his shoulder, and just held him tight. Chests together even if at such different heights, hearts beating to show they were alive. Link was warm and breathing and real under his wings as he held him tightly, as if he would never let go.

Because right then, as they held each other in their arms, Revali didn't push him away. He held him close, right where he needed to be.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Tumblr, Supertinywords and Supertinydom!
> 
> Requests are open!
> 
> Comments are love <3


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